The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-01-27
THE LATE DIR. WILEY.
Comments From the Press Concern
ing His Life and Work.

ing His Life and Work.
The story (referrIng to "Roanoke''O
is strictly North Carolinian. 1t is
full of incidents illustrative of the
times just before and during the Rev
olutionary War, and it is of special
interest to Eastern Carolina, in which
the scenes are cast. Roanoke Island,
New Berne, Wilmington, the battle of
Moore's Creek Bird dge, in Pender coun-
ty, all come in, while prominent actors
in the times that tried mems souls"
are introduced. When we were in
our boyhood there were two famous
comic songs that were snng and play
ed by the minstrels of those days.
They were "Old Zip Coon" and 8" Old
Dan Tucker" With no little clever
ness DIR. Wiley has introduced these
two worthless, and made them among
the most important and interesting of
the dranaatis persor,e. We think in
conception and execution he shows
more of the skill of the genuine story
teller in delineating these characsers
than in any other portion of the book.
The character of Utopia" is deity
drawn, but is unreal and unsubstan-
tial, though with certain poetic grace
and beauty. The story will pay the
North Carolinian to read it. 1t is
by no means dull, and is far more
readable and much more healthy than
many of the stories that are now cir
culated and devoured. It is full of
| N Na-o1s-o OF tho coil
is so illustrative of the past, and
contains so much that will be new to
the mass of story readers, that it we'll
for them to get it of Peterson & Bro,
Philadelphia. The moral of the story
is of course all that it should be. The
author shows how tenderly he loved
his native Carolina, how proud he
was of her history, and how careful
he was to gather the memorials that
illumined her past and reflected a
halo of glory upon her sons. The
author sleeps now in the house ap-
pointed for the dead, but his two
North Carolina stories" Alamance y
and Roanoke will be long read
and we hope that because of the stir
ring times of which they treat, and the
| faithful picture of the now remote past
they will live to perpetuate the gifts
patriotism and devotion of the author
It they should live because of theil
literary excellence Wilmingto,
, Star.
Those who have given sketches il
! ! memory Of DR.. Wiley, SO far as W.
i have seen, have failed to notice hi
y term of editorial service on weekl,
; , literary paper in Raleigh, called th
Post DIR. Wiley was peculiarly fitte'
{ for literary work, being as far as pos
! sible from slang and coarseness on tn
!. one hand and tediousness and osten
u tation on the other. His reasoning
II faculties both in writing and speakin
were noteworthy, and DIR. Wiley ma
be set down as a conservative, who's
influence will live, and deserves
live, in the time to come Greensbor
Workman.
) DIR. Wiley was an accute thinke
,r and an active worker. In early Iii
n he wrote several stories, as CAL
# NANCE" Roanoke" etc. AfterwarC
# he wrote history of North Carolin
r. for the use of the schools, with sele
"a ton from n. G.. authors. During tt
war he wrote and published a treati:
on the events of the time All h
49, work was well done. He was we
= known and highly esteemed in Sail
- bury, where he visited once or twice
- year He leaves a wife and sever
- - childlen to mourn their great loss.-
=; Watchnaan
8 Rev. DR.. Wiley Was born on the
' of February, 1919, and was in his 6S
year. He was member of the lie
- islature from Granville for one sessit
= The second novel he published was e
~ titled Roanoke or, Where is Utopi
~ ~ 1t was copiously illustrated by dra'
:. ings by Darley, from original desigl
= = A copy is before us. An edition W
~ published in 1886, by T. B. Peters
10 70 and Brothers. 1t is of average leng
no no 156 pages octave, double columns
-. page Wilmington Star.